The invention relates to a handheld irrigation device including a hand-operated pump. The invention also relates to attachments for the hand-held irrigation device.
Over 90 percent of the adult population is infected with some form of periodontal disease. Most periodontal disease begins in the interproximal area of the mouth between the teeth. This degradation results from bacteria that are nourished from food debris that are not removed from the gum area. Anaerobic bacterial activity in this ecological region of the gingival sulcus is the major cause of periodontal disease. Therefore, removing contaminants from the gingival sulcus is highly desirable. Brushing does not always effectively remove contaminants, and flossing is not completely effective either.
There is a need for an inexpensive, compact, hand-held, portable finger-operated oral cleaning system that is completely self-contained, that can lavage between teeth and around the gum line with a dental fluid, and that can also withdraw the fluid to facilitate debridement of food particles and bacterial plague.
There is also a need for the system to provide an adjustable fluid stream pressure that remains relatively constant during the operation.
There is also a need for the system to provide an adjustable volume for each pulse of fluid.
There is also a need for the system to provide an attachment capability for various types of cleaning devices.
According to one aspect of the invention, a handheld cleaning device comprises a cleaning section having discharge and suction ports; and a pump for causing fluid to be discharged through the discharge port of the cleaning section and for simultaneously creating suction at the suction port of the cleaning section.